


Duty of Care

by wearetheonlyone



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Nightmares, The Doctor (Doctor Who) Whump, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 03:51:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18490756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearetheonlyone/pseuds/wearetheonlyone
Summary: "I have a duty of care to protect you."





	Duty of Care

**Author's Note:**

> Listen. This fic isn't good. But it's a fic and there aren't many around so it's better than nothing.

_“I have a duty of care”_

She shot upright instantaneously, the words bouncing and echoing in her mind, thumping against her skull as they taunted her with a deafening volume that rivalled a siren sounding in battle. This had been a constant occurrence. Blurred figures would cross her vision in a haze, surrounding only by darkness and smoke in a place she didn't recognise until everything suddenly became clear, sharpening so strongly it burned her retinas. 

Each night it was a different person that spoke to her- some old, some new.

Distantly, she saw a figure and felt her stomach twist into a knot, choking a sudden gasp from her lips. The smoke caused her vision to dilate like curtains in the wind, dark shapes covering her vision for only a second before they snapped open again, forcing her to take in the sight before her- but that didn't mean she was entirely blind. She could see the figure: their shape, their outline, blocks of colour- this time she noted the neatly brushed dark hair that cascaded down the figures torso, the pale turtleneck that clung loosely to their neck, the warm colour that spread across her cheeks. She rushed through all of her companions, faces blurred into her mind as she desperately attempted to know who was about to torture her this time. Was it Martha? No- Martha never wore a turtleneck like that. Who else? She thought to herself, hopelessly, not many of her companions had hair like she was seeing, and then the realisation hit her like a ton of bricks.

It was Yaz.

Her beautiful, brilliant, fantastic Yaz! It had to be her, and the Doctor cursed herself for not realising sooner. She spent nearly every one of her waking moments with Yaz nearby, either tailing behind her as she ran for her life or looking softly at her from across the console, hands poised on the buttons, light but not quite pressing on them, like the Doctor had done a number of times herself. 

She felt the fog slip from her eyes, and the fear creep up her spine, gnawing at her like a disease. Then she watched as Yaz came into focus- fear clinging to her neck as the hairs sprouting there prickled. She couldn't stand the snide expression that danced across Yaz's lips- it's one she would never make; especially not to her, which is why is stung so much. 

“You let me down, Doctor,” spoke Yaz. Her voice rung in the alien's ears, and the words she spoke had a subtle, nearly unnoticeable echo to them. It reminded her she was dreaming, and she hadn't let her down yet but the sneer grew in volume as the young woman noticed the utter despair on the alien's face.

“ _No..._ ” whispered the Doctor in response, her voice hushed and low unlike the booming confidence dream-Yaz's words had. “I…” she stumbled on her words- deep down she knew nothing she said mattered but somehow that clarity was buried deep into subconscious as the realism of her slumber engulfed her whole. “I haven't.”

“Fine, then, you haven't,” she agreed and the Doctor's face lit up for a brief moment as her sneer morphed into a shrug, her features untensing. “But you will.”

All hope fled from the Doctor's body, leaving her oh so hopeful mind, numbing her down to the bare minimum of joy. “No!” She screamed, but she regretted instantly where she saw fear quickly plant itself on the younger woman's face. “Yaz… you know that I would _never_ let you get hurt- and… and you know that I would try my best to not disappoint you.”

“Your best isn't good enough, Doctor. I know how many people have died under your watch,” said Yaz coldly and cruelly. Her own voice adding to the sick melody that reminded her of her mistakes, of her regrets. “You have a duty of care-”

The second the words left Yaz's mouth, the world flipped upside down sharply. Yaz had vanished into a puff of smoke in the darkness and now the Doctor watched as her hair blew wildly on her head, indicating to her that she was flying- no, she was falling. Her vision cleared once again but rather than being greeted by the suffocating black, she was held upwards towards the blinding light that pierced her eyelids. 

There were hands grabbing at her, she could feel their sweat dripping into her own skin, the moisture being absorbed into her skin as she jerked violently. Her body flung around uselessly like a ragdoll as she refused to open her eyes, not wanting to see that expression cross Yaz's features again. A dark voice crossed her mind, scuttering around her ears _”...suffer…”_ it whispered _"..you deserve it..”_ and despite how much she wanted to deny the voice- she knew couldn't: it was right. She did deserve it. 

Slowly, her eyes cracked open, squinting wild and panicked at the light that burned into her. The grip on her arms loosened slightly as she attempted she look around at her surroundings- it was her room, blurry and bland with random accessories were left to create a large mass of clutter in the different parts of her room. As her attention shifted from the familiar pieces of her decor, she noticed three faces in front of her but something was covering her eyes that made it hard for her to see- but she didn't need to see to know it was her beloved fam watching her with fear and relief in their eyes.

“Doctor!” 

Faintly, she realised the sweat she felt drip onto her skin wasn't from her companions but was instead painted across her own skin. Her body was warm, boiling even, as her breath came out in large, heavy pants, cool against her skin.

With wide eyes, she looked up at her companions, not speaking a word, waiting impatiently until they spoke. “You were screaming- and the, uh, TARDIS led us here, cause I think it- I mean she was worried about you,” clarified Ryan.

“You were havin’ one helluva nightmare, Doc,” chimed in Graham. “We couldn't even touch you, 'cause you were squirming too much.”

None of them spoke for a whole after that, the three humans waiting for their friend to say something in response to show she was listening and not far away. She hadn't moved either, frozen in place like a statue, her breath still heavy but her body remained stiff and rigid. Carefully, she shifted her gaze from the door in front of her to Yaz who was standing to the side, having not said a word since she came in. 

“Yaz…” she whispered, her voice hoarse, rough and gritty like someone was rubbing coins against her throat.

Said girl perked up immediately, stuttering and stumbling where she stood leant against the wall. “Yes, Doctor?”

“Have I…” she replied, pausing, as she fought against the lump in her throat. “... let you down?”

Yaz was startled by the woman looking up at her with such a intense gaze, all of her insecurities pouring out into the open from that one glance. “What?” she said, flabbergasted. “I- that was rude, sorry. No. You've never let me down, I don't think it's possible for you to do that.”

The Doctor frowned. “Are you absolutely certain?” She asked, voice quiet, nearly mumbling under her breath.

“Is this about the nightmare, Doctor?” 

She nodded. “Have I done anything to upset you?” She insisted.

Yaz moved forward, placing a gentle handle on the Doctor's that gripped at the duvet beneath her until her knuckles turned white. “You haven't.”

They all watched as more tears built up the Doctor's eyes, covering her vision once more before they rushed down her cheeks like a River. Instinctively, Yaz reached forward, outstretching her hands to the woman, pulling her close and then pressed her face into the crook of her shoulder. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have the guts to pull this over but the second she saw tears fall from her eyes, it set something off inside of her, a deep urge to protect the other woman.

There was a complete silence in the room aside from the Doctor's ragged breaths and choked sobs muffled in Yaz's shoulder, and her hands gripped at the younger woman's shirt, knuckles turning white.

**Author's Note:**

> I used the word flabbergasted and honestly I feel like a 60 year old English teacher


End file.
